"On his way to Carthage, the Prophet Joseph Smith passed by the Nauvoo Temple for what would be his final time, his gaze lingering upon the nearly completed sacred building, and declared, “This is the loveliest place and the best people under the heavens." The stories of those faithful people, who felt the magnetic pull of the gathering to erect a temple, are some of the most tragic and some of the most inspiring accounts in Church history. Replete with captivating eyewitness narratives, “Gathering to Nauvoo” provides vivid detail of the experiences encountered by hundreds of converts as they traveled through thousands of miles of trial and triumph to gather to the "City Beautiful." These powerful accounts include testimonies miraculous preservation of life through the use of priesthood power, which rebuked not only disease, but also the winds and waves. Seagoing Saints also relate the joys and sorrows of the ocean crossing, ranging from dancing and singing to debilitating illness and sober sea burials. And at the end of their long journeys - the heartwarming welcome bestowed by the Nauvoo Saints, Church leaders, even the Prophet Joseph Smith himself, who often greeted converts as they approached the shore. Carefully researched by Fred Woods, “Gathering to Nauvoo” provides an intimate, inspirational look at the Saints who sacrificed their all to come to Nauvoo and build Zion." [Author]